In his press conference on Tuesday, November the 20th at Warehouse C at the port, John Sayles, the great director of American independent cinema, spoke about the way he works with his actors, his work as a screenwriter in other directors' films as well as about modern political cinema.Accompanying him on the panel were his wife and producer Maggie Renzi, and actors Chris Cooper and David Strathairn, who he has worked with for a number of years.
Despina Mouzaki, the Director of the Thessaloniki Film Festival launched the press conference by saying: "John Sayles is a director whose films contain political thought. He creates a personal cinema, which interests all of us. He is an artist with a humane vision, political thought and a deep love for the art of cinema." George Corraface, the President of the Festival, expressed his joy for John Sayles and his collaborators' attendance in this years Festival.
Sayles mentioned that, although recently it is harder for him to find the funds for his films than previously, he still manages to get renowned actors to act in his films for less money. He also revealed that to make ends meet, he works as a screenwriter in other films, and added: "It's a bit disheartening that City of Hope, which received favorable reviews, didnt do so well at the box office. However, it's very important for me that these films continue to exist on DVD. A film is kept alive when it is seen, even if it's on a small screen."
Regarding City of Hope, which was screened the previous day in the framework of the Festival's retrospective tribute to Sayles, actor Chris Cooper noted: "It's been 15 years since I first saw the film and today I am able to comprehend it better. John is ahead of his time. The script is so complete, it just amazed me." David Strathairn added: "I was inspired by seeing the film again. I realized that some things never change and that when something happens in some remote corner of the world, it is reflected everywhere."
"I ask actors to add something of their own to their roles. I want them to give me options and to participate in the result with their own ideas," said Sayles regarding the way he works with his actors.
Regarding political cinema in our days, John Sayles noted: "Cinema is part of a cultural dialogue. My films are usually close to reality, they contain a complex truth and the dispute that they create is part of that dialogue. My films aren't political films, but they do contain a political conscience."
Maggie Renzi, Sayles' partner and producer, said: "Part of what we are doing in Thessaloniki is to present our work to a new audience, since it is difficult for our films to be distributed abroad. Here, films are judged for their artistic value and not for their commercial success, as opposed to America where cinema is a business." At the end of the press conference, Renzi revealed that the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival are her two favorites.
